- First attempt to follow technique, step by step

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ALEXEI ANTONOV PAINTINGS

Subject: "First attempt to follow technique, step by step"

Study and Teach Fine Art Techniques Oil Painting Techniques by A. L. Antonov Topic #6

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eugene
Member since Aug-27-02
5 posts,

Sep-11-02, 11:57 AM ()

"First attempt to follow technique, step by step"

Hi everybody!
Here is my first attempt to draw a picture into classical flemish technique. I am not a profi in art just a begginer so far some of my doubts might be funny but I will try follow the Workshop 1 as much as I can.
Picture size is 40*50 cm (not familiar with inches, sorry)
Now I have finished umber underlayer stage and you can see my results below. To enhence your critic I put a shot of original composition. Please do as much as you can (Hope you will find a bit of likeness).
Let me tell what kind of problem I had.
First of all after oiling the canvas I had just two hours to work under layer. After the mixture of two parts of terpentine and one part of dammar (no lavandar oil drop was added) became so sticky that it was impossible to blend it on canvas. So far I had to work part by part which takes about 8 hours at all for two umber layers (not fast but it is my best for now). Could you advice how can I kill the dryness; is it becouse I missed lavandar oil?
Second, when I blend with correcting brush it took a lot of paint which supposed to be sread itself. As a result I had to put twice lower tone of shadow and almost twice much paint to get correct results in the end of bleding. I was surprized becouse on video it looks that brush just spread the paint not taking it itself.
Third, squirrel blending brush takes itself much more paint than camel one sometimes almost taking off all my work done before with correcting brush. What I may do wrong?
I am about to start dead layer and worring a lot becouse of possible dryness of painting mixture. Could you advice best proportions between terpentine-dammar-oil(?) to escape it?
Also how much (approx in ml) of dead mixture I need to prepare to ensure that it will be enaf to finish work?

Admin
Member since Jul-29-02
93 posts, 6 feedbacks,

Sep-12-02, 11:43 PM ()

1. "RE: First attempt to follow technique, step by step"

Hi, Eugene:
40 by 50cm will be approximately 20 by 25in.
Eugene, your umber underlayer came out very well for the very first try.
Hopefully my thoughts about your routine preparation wouldn�t be too frustrating for you.
Personally for myself, more aggressive critique I get about my work, more inspirational motivation I have.
First of all, I would like to say about composition, too much negative space and too busy right low coner, also side line of the table top is too vertical, I mean � is too perpendicular.
If you see that problem, you can solve it in the dead underlayer by adding happenings on the background, and some details to balance you composition. Do some sketching, beforehand of course, very appropriate tool to compose is Adobe Photoshop.
I don�t think you have any problem with the terpentine-dammar proportions. It seems to me and it�s showing, that your priming preparation was not done very well. The proportion of the modeling paste to gesso is probably very high which created pretty high oil absorbing abilities .
You can try your prime for absorbing Immediately after your Imprimatura is completely dry; oil you apply is supposed to remain wet from several hours to few days. If you see oil sucking in to the prime in several minutes (after you will wipe out the existing oil, of course), oil the canvas again, and again until you will feel body of prime has enough oil, and then take painting away to dry it on the sun, in a week or so you can try again check out how quick your prime is absorbing the oil, in worst scenario you�ll have to do it several times.
When you paint you always have to feel fresh oil under your fingers.
To avoid these problems in the future you have to figure out your prime recipes proportion. Right now I�m talking about easy way of priming, I actually mean re priming off manufacture acrylic gesso Primed canvases.
By �find your right proportion� I mean different companies use different proportions of the acrylic to gesso, modeling or spackling paste.
Priming gesso By itself has too high percentage of the acrylic, that�s why we are adding in it some kind of gesso or marble powder with water. When existing water evaporates, that leaves air pores, which allow better contact with the following oil paint layers by sucking oil in it. But if you overdo it and acrylic percentage drops down, then the quantity of air pores Will increase, which means that your prime will over oil absorbing.

Eugene, I am also curious how much time did you spend to do this layer.
I got the feeling you�re trying to finish it in the rush.
I can tell that by your flower and grapes.
To me, Eugene, to achieve perfect result, you have to spend time as much as you need. If one petal of the rose needs couple days to finish, spend those days, don�t hurry. You have to be satisfied with each square inch of your painting. From painting to painting when you�ll get familiar with different textures, your speed will increase. Just like in sport, practice makes us perfect.
Painting could be done very quickly; bad news is- learning process is really time consuming.

eugene
Member since Aug-27-02
5 posts,

Sep-13-02, 07:50 AM ()

2. "RE: First attempt to follow technique, step by step"

Alexey,
thanks a lot for your valuable advices. I am thinking the same the more critique I have the more chances I have to improve. The more detail you coming in your critique the more answers on my question I have. So I took your critique as good advices.
I know my week point is composition. Persceptionally I can feel negative and positive but is there any low in thier proportions on the canvas, what can you advice to start? Thanks for your idea with increasing happenings area I will do it.
Also I am not sure in balancing the composition. Looking onto your suggestion ( sorry that I took your time to do it ) I can definatelly say that the picture became much more better but why!!?? When you are talking about balance this balance is around what ( center point, line...) ?
I think I realized what do you mean under "proper proportions for priming". Would it be too much harm for picture if I make that procedure of feeding the picture with oil and after exposing to sun now to escape problem with sucking oil on the dead layer stage?
As for quality of my grapes and wild rose I will do one more umber layer. No rush.
In the video you prepiared dead layer mixture just with row paint from tubes without adding any terpentine-dammar-oil mixture, don't you?
Thank you for great ideas of making composition expecially I liked last one with piece of women face drawing.
Would use with pleasure but not my idea. Next picture maybe.

qwer
Member since Aug-24-02
5 posts,

Sep-13-02, 07:18 PM ()

3. "RE: First attempt to follow technique, step by step"

Dear Eugene,

Instead of priming with that gesso/modeling paste mixture as Mr.Antonov suggestes, prime it with a layer of lead white in turpentine. This is the most traditional priming recipe used by old masters. I hate using acrylic gesso because 1)It's too absorbent2)It's mostly intended for acrylics and 3)some people don't recomend painting on acrylic gesso with oils because it goes against the fat over lean principle. With enought practice, you can move from comerical canvases to strecthing and priming raw linen by sizing it with rabbit skin glue, and then giving it a coat of lead white. These are the best and most permanent supports to paint on.

Secondly, in regards to the dead underlayer, I thin my mixtures with a little medium(more in darks,less in lights). You need a lot of paint to do this stage and I recommend getting lead white by the Old Holland company(especially in the 225ml size). Purchase their cremnitz white pecause it's a pure lead carbonate. Their flake white is mixed with a liitle zinc white(not used by old masters). This lead white is also excellent for priming canvases.

eugene
Member since Aug-27-02
5 posts,

Oct-04-02, 06:15 AM ()

4. "RE: First attempt to follow technique, step by step"

Dear Gwer,
thanks a lot for your reply.
(Sorry for delay with answer I was on vacations)
I think for now I had to start with acrilic priming becouse I am not sure that I will manage to do whole process of priming myself from raw linen for now. Also price for lead white is pretty high in Moscow to use it in priming.
I think I come back to your advice some times later when I get more experience.

verdaccio

Member since Dec-15-02
122 posts, 1 feedbacks,

Dec-22-02, 03:57 PM ()

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5. "RE: First attempt to follow technique, step by step"

qwer,
i know rabbit skin glue was what the masters used, but it is hard to come by and prepare. are there no oterh viable sizing options?

also, what about panel prep? flake white also? size first? both sides? (im talking marine plywood. hard to find seasoned oak, and i prefer the plywood to masonite)

and how about mediums? do you prepare liquid or jelly? do you use mastic tears, and if so, how much. a recipe would be greatly appreciated.
thanks

jai guru deva om